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Obon
The '''Obon '''are a large cyclopean race that originate in the vast system of tunnels beneath the Shining South. Obon society at large is strictly bound to a set of ancient Tenets that dictate their very survival as a people. Cyclopean tunnel dwellers who rule beneath the southwestern wastelands outside Sadar. Obon are very tall, ranging from six to eight feet in height. Their skin tones feature shades of grey or range from maroon to black. They are completely hairless. They are sometimes compared to goats, because their gizzard stones allow them to digest nearly anything. These gizzard stones, known as Mot feature in their religion and funerary rites, as the Obon worship their deceased ancestors and keep their Mot as sacred relics. Mainstream Obon society is isolationist and adheres to the Tenets of the Ancestor, a code that stresses the importance of this isolationism, survival at all costs, and deference to one's Hoptog (tribal chief). Historically the Hoptog were advised by another class called the Densbrood, "stone whisperers" who kept the ancestor stones, read the trails of the mighty Gerbor Worms, and conduct the few dealings with outsiders that circumstances demand. In recent years many Hoptog have singled out the Densbrood as a threat to their power, citing the corrupting nature of speaking the languages of the outsiders they are sometimes forced to deal with as proof of their corruption; the Densbrood counter that their methods serve the Ancestor's tenet of survival. Many Densbrood have been forced to flee their tribes' tunnels to the surface, carrying one of the Mot with them. The Obon are often locked in combat with the Jardoun, due to the latter's insatiable desire to expand. The Jardoun desire to subjugate the Obon and finally claim the underground for the Pharaohs, but the Obon simply wish to be left alone. Battles in the deep dark are fairly common, and Obon border tunnels and settlements are heavily fortified. The conflict will probably not end any time soon; although the Obon are physically stronger than the Jardoun, the rat-men have the advantage of numbers, as well as hordes of Coleomagna beetles bred for war. The Obon are originally descended from men and can thus interbreed with them, though such pairings are rare. It is not known to what end the Obon were changed, but scholars have theorized that the Obon's tough skin, hardy constitutions, excellent low-light vision, and brute strength suggest they were made for combat. Whether that is true, none can say, but the Obon have had a long history serving the Pharaohs and nobles as sentries and bodyguards. They are also exceptional builders and heavy laborers, and so many Obon were involved in the construction of the tombs of Sadar. Obon architecture continues to show a somber influence, probably due to this history. Due to their long practice of ancestor reverence and their expertise with preparing corpses, Obon also frequently serve as undertakers, pallbearers, and embalmers, although those most skilled in corpse-craft have usually only prepared fellow Obon since the fall of the Great Kingdom. Obon names do not differentiate between genders, common names include: Doro, Rafdo, Cozra, Godra, Mordo, Horzo, Warod, Larod, and Fadro. History The Primordial Era (???? - ???? B.S.R.) The Era of Bloody Stone (???? - 9160 B.S.R.) The Era of Creation (9160 - ???? B.S.R) The Stagnant Era (???? - 1651 S.R.) The Era of Dor Oozfor (1651 - 1694 S.R.) The Second Stagnant Era (1694 S.R. - present) Culture Biology and AppearanceCategory:Creatures Notable Obon Dor Dens (???? - 9350 B.S.R.) Once the advisor of a powerful Obon warlord during the Era of Bloody Stone, Dor Dens became disillusioned with the endless warfare that tore his people apart, causing him to flee into the unknown fringes of the tunnel systems to live out the rest of his life as a hermit. Addled by the mucus of Grebor Worms, he spent his final days chiseling a set of guidelines for his people to live by, known as the Tenets of the Obon, into the walls of a great underground chasm. His writings were discovered generations later, ultimately leading to the end of hostilities and setting the framework for future Obon society. Category:Creatures Category:Player Races